Expired PR Card... Can I apply for ETA?

[dannyg1001]

Hi Guys

Yes I'm an idiot and I've let me PR card expire.

I travelled to Las Vegas last August and I had no issues at all, I boarded the plane fine and the agent at border control in Canada accepted my expired card and just told me to renew it.

However I've recently learned about the ETA visa... and my mate who is PR but lost his card a couple of years ago and didn't get a new one is currently stranded in London as they wouldn't let him board the plane.

I'm supposed to be travelling to USA in about 6 weeks... I have applied for new PR card but I doubt it will arrive in time.

My question is... I am a British Citizen, can I pay for a ETA visa so they can board me in USA on the plane back to Canada and then show border control my expired card and receipt of payment to get a new one?

Or am I going to have to cancel my trip?

Thanks!!!

 

[Rob_TO]

Hi Guys

Yes I'm an idiot and I've let me PR card expire.

I travelled to Las Vegas last August and I had no issues at all, I boarded the plane fine and the agent at border control in Canada accepted my expired card and just told me to renew it.

However I've recently learned about the ETA visa... and my mate who is PR but lost his card a couple of years ago and didn't get a new one is currently stranded in London as they wouldn't let him board the plane.

I'm supposed to be travelling to USA in about 6 weeks... I have applied for new PR card but I doubt it will arrive in time.

My question is... I am a British Citizen, can I pay for a ETA visa so they can board me in USA on the plane back to Canada and then show border control my expired card and receipt of payment to get a new one?

Or am I going to have to cancel my trip?

Thanks!!!

You are a PR so don't qualify for an eTA. You have only 2 options if your new PR card doesn't arrive in time:

1. Apply for a PR Travel Document while in the USA. For this you'll need to courier your app and passport to nearest visa office (I think it would be LA), and wait for them to process PR TD and mail it back to you. Total time should be a couple weeks. Some have requested expedited processing and received back in less than a week but there's no guarantee of this.

2. Re-enter Canada by land. For this just your passport and expired PR card is fine.

Since you don't qualify for an eTA, you will be denied boarding at an airport without a valid PR card or PR TD. When you flew last August, the eTA system was not mandatory. Now it is.

 

[dannyg1001]

Can I get a PRTD before travelling?

 

[zardoz]

Can I get a PRTD before travelling?

No, it can only be applied for in the Visa Office that serves the country that you are going to, after you have left Canada.

 

[dannyg1001]

Thanks a lot for your help. I have weighed up the options and I think I will cross by land. So I am definitely going to have no problems crossing into Canada by car with only my British passport and expired PR card?

I am assuming I should have no issues flying from Vegas to Montana as long as my ESTA is valid?

 

[Rob_TO]

Thanks a lot for your help. I have weighed up the options and I think I will cross by land. So I am definitely going to have no problems crossing into Canada by car with only my British passport and expired PR card?

I am assuming I should have no issues flying from Vegas to Montana as long as my ESTA is valid?

Correct to both.

Your Canadian PR documents are irrelevant for domestic flights within the US.

And CBSA can easily confirm your PR status with just your passport and expired PR card. You can also bring COPR to be safe, and proof that your PR renewal app is in progress. You should get waved through and not even need to go to secondary inspection (although this is up to the CBSA officer you encounter).